If there’s one space the place the strain is on a brand new entry within the Final Fantasy franchise, it is in its solid. The demand is that the Final Fantasy XVI characters are good – ok to face as much as the storied events of the sequence earlier than it – and that is a tall order.

As we strategy the Summer 2023 launch of FF16, it is necessary to get to know the solid of newcomers that we’ll spend many hours with as we discover the world of Valisthea and comply with protagonist Clive on his jouney of revenge. That’s what this web page is for – to offer you a pre-release primer on the entire FF16 characters, who they’re, and what they’re like. All based mostly on pre-release materials, in fact – so spoiler free.

If you are attempting to study as a lot as you possibly can about FF16, it’s best to verify our our evaluation of the primary trailer, our run-down of the FF16 devleopment employees, our profile on FF16 director Hiroshi Takai, which can assist let you know what to anticipate from his first FF within the director’s chair.

Meet the Final Fantasy 16 Characters

On this web page, we’ll introduce you to the characters of Final Fantasy XVI holding it as spoiler-free as Square Enix defines – by which we imply, we received’t discuss or function any info on the characters that hasn’t been revealed in official pre-release materials. We may, nevertheless, speculate on the character of some characters – ensuring hypothesis is clearly listed.

This might be a ‘living’ web page as FF16 approaches its launch – which means as Square Enix reveals extra of the solid of characters within the sport and their roles within the story, we’ll replace this web page and maintain it stuffed with element, so each time the sport launches you possibly can bounce proper into the story feeling forward of the sport. So, with out additional ado, let’s get into the characters of FF16…

Clive Rosfield

The fundamental protagonist of FF16, Clive Rosfield is the son of aristocracy – the first-born son of the Archduke of the Grand Duchy of Rosaria, one in all FF16’s key areas. Clive’s youthful brother, Joshua, is chosen to inherit the standing because the ‘Dominant’ of Phoenix, a strong fiery Eikon/summon, from their father. Clive trains to be a talented swordsman as a way to shield his youthful brother in his perilous function. 

Officially, he’s given the title of the First Shield of Rosaria to symbolize his mission to protect his brother and the Phoenix. 

In the early phases of the sport, a fifteen-year-old Clive will face the darkish Eikon Ifrit in what producer Naoki Yoshida has described as a “grand tragedy” – and no matter occurs in these tumultuous units him on a path of vengeance. An older model of Clive seems to be in search of revenge for no matter occurs on that fateful day – which we’ll expertise in-game. 

In FF16’s trailers, we see two distinct time intervals: one with Clive as a younger man and one with him as an grownup. Based on the trailers, it appears the tragedy befalls him as younger man, after which we’ll additionally tackle his revenge mission as a extra grizzled, tattooed grownup. 

Speculation & Analysis on Clive:

So far, Clive is the one character we really see the participant instantly controlling – and truthfully, we wouldn’t be shocked if FF16 eschews conventional occasion mechanics and primarily has you solely controlling Clive, as with Noctis in FF15 at launch. We’re certain others will be a part of him on his journey, although – we’ve already seen transient glimpses of others preventing alongside him.

We’ve additionally caught small appears to be like at his talents. He’s a talented swordsman, however he additionally clearly wields the facility of sure summons in fight. We see him carry out a fiery uppercut model transfer with a large wing (Phoenix), smash opponents with a stony fist (Titan), and swipe at them with a avian-like talon (Garuda). What different summons may he have the ability to borrow the powers of? We’ll should see…

Series Factoid: This is the second Clive in Final Fantasy historical past; in FF14, there’s an NPC member of the Students of Baldeson who shares the title, which is a conventional Old English title becoming for FF16’s medieval fantasy setting. 

The official description of Clive: 

The firstborn son of the Archduke of Rosaria. Though all anticipated him to inherit the Phoenix’s flames and awaken as its Dominant, future as a substitute selected his youthful brother Joshua to bear this burden. In search of a job of his personal, Clive devoted himself to mastering the blade. His observe pays off when, at simply fifteen years of age, he wins the ducal event and is dubbed the First Shield of Rosaria—tasked to protect the Phoenix and blessed with the power to wield part of his hearth. Alas, Clive’s promising profession is to finish in tragedy by the hands of a mysterious darkish Eikon, Ifrit, setting him on a harmful street to revenge.

Joshua Rosfield

Clive’s youthful brother. As talked about above, Joshua Rosfield is the Dominant of the Phoenix, having inherited that title from his father. The title was anticipated to go to Clive, however future selected the youthful of the Archduke’s sons as a substitute. 

In the world of FF16, a summon/Eikon’s Dominant can actively rework into them – so Joshua can basically morph into Phoenix, the highly effective Eikon of Fire, a creature that additionally adorns the flag of the dominion he’s royalty of. 

Joshua is ten years previous within the earlier timeline occasions of FF16. Time will inform if he really survives these occasions – but when he does, he’ll naturally be slightly older for the remainder of the sport, in all probability in his late teenagers. 

Series Factoid: Joshua’s backstory is similar to one other Square Enix character of the identical title – Vagrant Story’s Joshua Corrinne Bardorba. He too is the son of a Duke who befalls tragedy associated to his bloodline. 

The official description of Joshua: 

The second son of the Archduke of Rosaria and Clive’s youthful brother by 5 years. Joshua awoke because the Dominant of the Phoenix quickly after his start. Despite his noble upbringing, Joshua treats all his father’s topics with heat and affection—none extra so than Clive, whom he deeply admires. Joshua usually laments that it was he, the frail and bookish youthful son, who was granted command of the firebird’s flames, and never his stronger, braver brother. While Clive will gladly throw himself into any hazard, Joshua quails on the sight of a carrot on his dinner plate. But carrots turn out to be the least of his concern when he, too, is swept up into the tragic occasions that change Clive’s life without end.

Jill Warrick

Possibly FF16’s fundamental feminine lead, Jill Warrick has suffered a tough previous – she was taken from her residence as a political hostage, traded and held as a way to maintain worldwide peace. Despite the character of her arrival to the dominion of Rosaria, the Archduke handled her like a daughter, which in flip made her a sister determine to each Clive and Joshua. She will be seen within the early trailers in the course of the earlier section of FF16’s narrative, throughout which she is aged round 12 years previous. 

Jill reappears later within the timeline as an grownup, the place she is described as a “Master of each Blade and Ice”. She’s an completed swordsman, then – however she’s additionally the Domiannt of Shiva, the traditional Ice-element summon that is appeared in many of the titles within the FF sequence.

Given her shut connection to Clive and Joshua, it feels fairly seemingly that Jill would be the closest factor FF16 has to a ‘feminine lead’. In the trailers of FF16, we see her doing battle with Odin’s Dominant. 

Series Factoid: Jill type of shares her title with Jihl Nabaat, an under-utilized antagonist in FF13. Her historical past as a political prisoner bartered from one nation to a different to maintain the peace locations her near FF’s earlier feminine lead, FF15’s Lunafreya, who had an analogous backstory.

The official description of Jill: 

Born within the fallen Northern Territories, Jill was taken from her homeland at a young age to turn out to be a ward of Rosaria, securing peace between the 2 warring nations. The Archduke insisted that she be raised alongside his sons, and now, at twelve years of age, she is as a lot part of the Rosfield family as Clive and Joshua. Ever type, gracious, and unassuming, Jill has turn out to be a trusted confidant to the brothers.

Hugo Kupka

Revealed within the ‘Dominance’ trailer for FF16 in June of 2022, Hugo Kupka is a strong determine on the earth of FF16 – largely as a result of he’s the Dominant of the highly effective Eikon Titan. Hugo has the look of Titan about him, too – he is a strong trying man with a shaved head.

Unlike the royalty in a lot of the remainder of the FF16 solid, Hugo started life as a easy, lowly soldier, and was thrust into greatness when he gained Titan’s energy. Perhaps unsurprisingly, meaning he is bought slightly gruffer edge, a minimum of from what we see within the trailer. The query is – will he be a pal, or a foe? His official character description does not make him sound just like the nicest of fellows…

Series Factoid: There’s by no means been a Hugo within the sequence earlier than, however can we glean something from that surname? In Polish, the phrase Kupka can imply ‘small pile’, or ‘piles’ – which seems like fairly an earthy reference befitting of Titan. But, small? Perhaps Hugo is not as sturdy as he lets on…

The official description of Hugo:

Permanent Economic Adviser Hugo Kupka’s meteoric rise to prominence was sudden, if not sudden. Once a anonymous foot soldier within the Republican Army, his awakening as Dominant of the Eikon Titan thrust him to the forefront of Dhalmekian politics. It was right here he used his newfound place as essentially the most highly effective man within the republic to exert affect over each the nation’s armies and its coverage making—amassing a private fortune within the course of. Yet whereas it’s mentioned {that a} man who has all the pieces needs for nothing, Benedikta Harman will educate him cash and energy are removed from all of the world has to supply.

Benedikta Harman

Mentioned within the profile of Hugo above, we lastly have a reputation to place to the mysterious blonde-haired feminine tactician we noticed in FF16’s very first trailer – Benedikta Harman. Carrying a golden-handled sword, she seems to be a warrior in addition to a spy and tactician. 

Revealed in trailers is the truth that Benedikta is the Dominant of the Eikon Garuda, a wind-themed summon that may be a FF staple but additionally is not one of the well-known summons. Benedikta has a design that speaks to this, with a feathered jacket and scaly armor that offers away her connection to the large bird-like beast.

Series Factoid: Garuda is a comparatively ‘new’ Final Fantasy summon, having first appeared in FF11 – nevertheless it’s then appeared in FF13, 14, and 15 since. Garuda was added to FF15 in a patch as a part of an FF14 cross-over quest. As for her title? Benedikta is an applicable title for a spy and tactician – it is derived from ‘Benediction’ (additionally a spell in FF14), which is itself from Latin meaning “to talk” (diction) “properly” (bene).

The official description of Benedikta:

Having emerged from the storm of youth coldhearted and ruthless, Benedikta Harman—Dominant of the Eikon Garuda, Warden of the Wind—turned her expertise for swordplay and subterfuge right into a command of Waloed’s elite intelligencers. It is on a mission to search out the elusive second Eikon of Fire that she crosses paths with a like-minded Clive and is pressured to face her previous.

Dion Lesage

Dion is one other member of the core FF16 solid descended from royalty, and one other determine in charge of a Dominant. As the crown prince of the Kingdom from the place the Dragoon Knights hail, Dion is a talented Dragoon, and leads the order of lance-wielding warriors in battle.

Appropriately, Dion is the Dominant of Bahamut, the King of Dragons. In his transient appearances in trailers to date, Dion at all times seems to be reasonably pressured – suggesting depsite hailing from a powerful and noble order, there’s one thing darker afoot that he’s sad with.

Series Factoid: The Dragoon Corps led by Dion Lesage is the newest in a protracted line of Dragoon Army items all through the FF sequence – the primary of which had been the Dragon Knights of Deist, who turned a goal of the evil Emperor. In FF2, the primary Dragoon we get to know in fact has the surname… Highwind. Will there be a Highwind in FF16? Perhaps Dion will command the ‘Highwind Unit’, or one thing comparable…

The official description of Dion: 

Crown prince of the Holy Empire of Sanbreque and chief of its noblest and most feared order of knights—the dragoons. Dion is beloved and revered by each his individuals and his troops, not least for the various occasions he has turned the tide of battle of their favor. Indeed, songs of the heroism of the warrior prince and his Eikon Bahamut, King of Dragons, are by no means removed from the lips and lutes of Sanbrequois bards. But all just isn’t properly within the empire, and the gathering shadows could but be sufficient to quell Bahamut’s mild…

Barnabas Tharmr

Barnabas has a novel background in comparison with most of the core solid – reasonably than the Aristocracy and riches, he seems to have earned what he has, reasonably than had it as a birthright. Barnabas has management of the legendary Eikon Odin and its horse Sleipnir, who in different FF video games is legendary for downing foes with a single devastating blow. 

Using Odin, Barnabas appeared to have consolidated his rule by energy, and now appears to be like to increase that energy throughout extra of the land of Valisthea. In the “Ambition” trailer for FF16, we see Barnabas making ready to face down with Jill, who’s the Domiant of Shiva. What set the 2 at odds? Based on his historical past, it appears seemingly that Barnabas is the instigator.

Series Factoid: Aside from protagonists, few will be mentioned to have actually ‘managed’ Odin within the FF sequence, which makes Barnabas’ command over the eikon comparatively distinctive. A number of have had management, nevertheless – Queen Brahne summons Odin in FF9, and in FF8, Seifer faces off towards Odin and survives, parrying his assault. 

The official description of Barnabas:

Arriving on the shores of Ash as a landless and titleless wanderer, it was Barnabas’s talent with a blade that received him a kingdom. And although the native beastmen had been to rise in revolt towards his rule, Barnabas referred to as on the facility of his Eikon, Odin, to quell their rebellions nigh single-handedly, bringing the whole lot of the japanese continent below the Waloeder banner. Now he has a military and navy that rival any in Valisthea at his disposal, but nonetheless the king is drawn to the place the preventing is thickest—using into battle atop his spectral steed and sundering foes along with his fabled black blade, or merely observing the unfolding chaos from the sidelines, a grisly gleam of fascination ever in his eyes.